Letcher County, Ky – A Letcher County man was back in court Wednesday on three prior cases. Ethan Brown is charged in connection with an April 2025 incident, indicted on two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and as a second-degree persistent felony offender. Prosecutors say he fired a weapon near the property of Tim Blair and Danielle Sturgill, creating a substantial danger of death or serious injury. Brown also appeared in a separate case from 2024, where he is accused of assaulting an officer.

Wolfe County, Ky – Wolfe County Search and Rescue is one step closer to a new home base. The team announced Thursday they’ve been awarded a 5 million dollar grant to build a new emergency operations center. The facility is expected to strengthen emergency response, improve coordination during disasters, and boost safety and resilience in Wolfe County and the surrounding region. Chief John May thanked Congressman Hal Rogers for securing the funding, saying it affirms the value of their volunteers and will help them better serve Kentucky communities in their most critical moments.

Floyd County, Ky – A Floyd County woman is preparing to plead guilty in a federal meth case, while her codefendant considers a plea offer. Stephanie Hall, 32, of Maytown, and Briana Hope Hunter, 31, of McDowell, were arrested in May 2024 after a traffic stop for excessive window tint, when a trooper reportedly found nearly half a pound of meth in their car. Both were indicted on a federal conspiracy charge to distribute more than 50 grams of meth, which carries a potential sentence of 5 to 40 years in prison. Hall has signed a plea agreement and is set to formally enter her guilty plea Friday, while Hunter could go on trial March 2 if no plea deal is reached.

Wolfe County, Ky – A Wolfe County man accused in a three-county federal meth conspiracy is preparing to plead guilty. Clyde Rudolph Endicott, 55, of Hazel Green, is charged with conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, along with related drug and firearm offenses. He was first indicted in July for allegedly dealing meth in Wolfe, Breathitt and Magoffin counties, but officers later reported finding more than 8 pounds of meth and 25,000 dollars in cash at his home, adding more charges. Endicott, who faces up to 20 years on most counts and potentially life on the conspiracy charge, is being held in the Pike County Detention Center and is scheduled to enter his plea on February 19 in federal court in Lexington.